Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
by Cooper Sterling
Summary: Took some songs.. Wrote some short little snippets. Featuring Dave, Balthazar, and Horvath. Anger, regret, love, magic, and everything in between. From one boy's musing on his destiny, to one man confronting his coldest fear. May do more by request.
1. Chapter 1

**Working on getting back into my writing with School and all.. Enjoy? Might be another part with more songs if enough people want it.. **

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**What's Up - Four Non Blondes**

He couldn't help it somedays. He really couldn't. Coming this far, he had no idea..

Apparently.. Things weren't exactly known about what he was supposed to go on doing after Morgana's defeat. The legends around him had just stated he would be powerful, and he would defeat the evil ancient sorceress.. Morganians and Merlinians alike knew that. That was what the Prime Merlinian would do. End of story. Period.

Dave wished there was something else though. He didn't just want his story to end there.. Starting to feel like a cow raised for the state fair, then left purposeless afterwards, he couldn't help but let his mind dwell on this. Whether Balthazar himself knew or not how he felt was another question entirely. For the moment, the older sorcerer seemed perfectly content to teach Dave. Dave just hoped he wouldn't end up like that cow, butchered afterwards for a lack of any other purpose.

But.. If you've already acheived your purpose in life.. What was the point of trying to do anything else?

Maybe.. Dave mused, he could go on.. And forget the fact he was the Prime Merlinian. Of course, there would be no going back to a normal , mundane existance. But maybe he could go on and try being a normal, garden variety sorcerer. Try traveling to different locations.. Learning everything else there was to learn about the magical world.. It would be easy to lose himself in that, he thought. And if all else failed, there were still alot of Morganians that held animosity towards Merlinians. Its not like there were alot of sorcerers running around. They should be working to try and not kill each other every two seconds.. Maybe he could do some work trying to bridge some of those gaps.

When a guy's got nothing much more to do, you gotta do something, after all.

**Song of the Century - Green Day**

Balthazar had seen many years go by. He had seen the rise and fall of empires, the just rules and unjust rulings of kings and dictators. He'd seen mankind slowly evolve, medically, technologically, and mentally. He had watched generations come and go, rising and falling in turn like crops.

He'd seen many people die before their time, taken by war. He'd seen children, taken by hunger. He'd seen families, destroyed by bombs. He'd seen it all.. And he wished he could do something. How frustrating it was that Balthazar Blake, sorcerer of the 777th degree, could not even save a few people from time's harsh caresses.

But he had a job to do.

**Its a kind of Magic - Queen**

Life in itself was a form of magic. Dave was still new to this, but as the days went by, he felt things coming more and more easily to him.

Including, it appeared, philosophical thinking. Maybe that one just came with being a sorcerer.. Hopefully he wouldn't feel the need to wear clothes with stars and crescents on them as well as grow a big long white beard.

But as Dave Stutler watched a mother and her young daughter pass by on the street, the mother patiently and lovingly listening on the child's every word, as the girl continued to chatter on, a smile found its way worming onto the young man's face.

Life was a form of magic.. But so was love.. and innocence.

**The Decision Tree (We're Alive) - Ayreon**

Not very many things scared Balthazar Blake. However, a recently freed Horvath staring down the very young Prime Merlinian was one of them. He'd only known the boy for a few minutes, but already, he felt the need to spirit him away from the danger, to hide him away from this world until he was ready to face it on his own two feet.

But as he fought his one time friend, it became apparent his plans were going to have to change. The last thing he saw before the urn Sealed them in was the face of that he knew he'd have to find again.. ten years from now.

Ten years.. in the urn.. with Horvath.

This was not going to be the most pleasurable decade of his incredibly long life. Already he could tell that.

Within, the urn did not really seem so much a vase as it did a swirl of thought. There was no real concept of physical reality. He could feel the walls of the vase if he expanded his mind out far enough, and something crumpled up that Horvath had managed to snag.. Whatever it was, it wouldn't do him much good here. Balthazar could feel the animostiy and resentment radiating off of his former friend, and almost immediately, he was sending out similiar vibes in return.

And so began ten years of two bitter rivals insulting and trying to mentally damage each other in any ways possible.

And by the end of it.. Balthazar wasn't sure anymore who was the evil one.

They both had killed.. They both were loyal to their respective masters.. they both had known love.. They both had done acts they weren't proud of..

It was a scary thought.. One he had to live with for twelve years, that he himself might be just as bad if not worse than Maxim Horvath. While Horvath made no hiding of his moral status, letting it shine for the world to see.. he could go around and call himself 'the good guy' all he wanted. But what was worse? The honest evil man.. or the dishonest one who calls himself good?

And it wasn't until Balthazar was released from the urn he realized something.. That thought, that fear that he was just as bad was what Horvath had wanted from the beginning. It had made him doubt himself.. It had started to wear away at his very soul with guilt.

And that was when Balthazar made up his mind. He set his shoulders a little straighter, raised his head a little higher.

For a while, it may have been a thought to weaken him.. But now, it had the reverse affect. It had made him stronger, more determined. More than ever, Balthazar became determined to defeat that man.. and make sure he did not let the evil loose upon the world.

It was his purpose, his belief.

And he was ready to follow it.

**Getting Away with Murder - Papa Roach**

This.. this is what power felt like. Horvath twirled his cane around his fingers, face set as they approached the castle. The old man would be somewhere inside. They would kill him, they would take the book, perform The Rising, and then there would be more. More power.. And more power opened up more choices for a man, more ways to make the world to his liking. If you wanted to control your own destiny, you needed power. It simple as that. And Horvath did not want Fate or Destiny to be in control of what was his.. Morgana didn't even truely lead him. She took him by the hand, and helped steer him in the right direction.

Another guard fell with a flash of blue, his heart crushed inside his chest before he had a chance to raise the alarm, blood forming a trickle out the corner of his mouth before he slumped. Poor fools.. But this would be for a better world. It was just a pity they wouldn't be able to see it.

A sharp grin spread across his features, as the doors opened for them, they slipped in, a few servants hurrying about their late night tasks falling as they did. Closer examination in the morning would reveal rocks buried deeply in their skulls. Maxim Horvath was nothing if but an original man.

And on they went.

**Step Up - Drowning Pool**

He'd given them the chance to walk away.. But the Morganians gathered around him pressed their attack anyways.

And as much as he tried to avoid lethal spells.. There was nothing else that would keep them down. And he needed to escape. He had the Incantus tucked firmly under him arm along with the Grimhold, and needed to get out of here..

And the Morganians kept coming.

Things got shouted. Insults got shared.

Tender subjects got manipulated.

Balthazar became angry.. Angry at everything. If it hadn't been for damned Morgana, Horvath wouldn't have turned on them. Master Merlin would not have had to have been killed. Veronica would not be imprisoned with one of the most evil beings to walk Earth. He wouldn't be searching the world for the Prime Merlinian.. He wouldn't be away from his love.

With each thought that made its presence known, he became angier and angrier. Spells started hitting harder, light began flashing more brightly, bodies were thrown more violently.

A few minutes later, chest heaving, almost in tears, Balthazar looked at the body and carnage around him.

Then he walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well.. With the staggering no reviews I thought I'd give one more chapter a shot. Then I shut up. I swear. Maybe... **

**First snippet was left vague on purpose.**

**All songs are not my property.. They belong to their respective owners.**

**The Last Song - All American Rejects**

Even as the body had fallen, even as the spell flared, the man knew there had to have been a mistake. He coudln't die.. Not like that, not then, not there.. But heedless of what he wanted, the fact wouldn't change. He was dead.

And there was a funeral.. And there were people in attendance. And it was all so sad and shmoopy, and people were crying, and the man spoke words that didn't really mean anything, seemed more generic than anything.

One after another, shovelfuls of dirt were dropped onto the coffin, reminding them they needed to go, needed to move on. That battle was over, but the war would still rage. He couldn't let this stop him.

Yes.. They still needed him..

But he had a good idea he was still going to be there when they did, in one way or another one. After all, magic was a form of energy, souls being a form of magic.

And E equals MC squared, any physicist's bread and butter would tell you one thing.

Energy can never be destroyed.. only changed and transferred.

**Back on Earth - Ozzy Osbourne**

Dave had thought the afterlife would be more.. Cloudy. Not cloudy in the bad way, per say, but more sky, and more fluffy white clouds to stand on, more golden rays of sunshine, maybe some pearly gates..

What he found seemed to be another world.. One very different than the one he had just left. Curiously he shifted his awareness around him. Everything around him seemed more pure, energy swirling with emotion, emotion swirling with memories, memories swirling with personalities, that held.. other.. beings..

And it was at that point a very disoriented spirit, new to this afterlife, realized he recognized some of these other beings as they wrapped around him, infusing him as they infused themselves with the other, as energy crackled and swirled, diffused and flowed.

An old, deep voice seemed to resonate through the.. well, not air, but energy, mindframes, whatever it was...

_Balthazar takes his time in finding you.. And you take your time in returning to us.. I've been meaning to speak to you two about some of the things you did.._

Feeling like a child about to face a lecture, David faced his Master's Master, his great-many-times-over grandfather.

**The Wizard - Ozzy Osbourne**

Hearts racing, feet pounding the ground, breathes heaving, two figures ran through the lamplit street. One seemed to have some sort of coat billowing out behind him while he shouted something, the other one was focused entirely on not tripping, barely heeding the other's words.

"Dave, I told you! Don't get within thirty feet of it, or the wards will set of the gatekeeper, and what did you do?"

"Look, it was an accident! I wanted to see what you were doing and I moved just a bit closer, I swear and-"

"And set the damned demon chasing us!"

There was a pause for the conversation as they looked behind them, didn't like what they saw, and proceeded to run faster. A few yards behind them, a hideous creature, a cross between a dragon, dog, and gorilla, with thick black ram's horns curling out of its skull was giving chase.

"Just for the record," David yelled between breaths, "I thought the gatekeeper was going to be some sort of dog!"

"Yes.. Because a dog is such a great protector for a Morganian armory. Really, David!"

"You never said-!"

"Did I really have to?"

Any further reply was cut off as the demon roared and lunged, snagging the older sorcerer's coat with a lucky talon. Giving a shout of surprise, Balthazar was yanked off his feet, and jerked back towards the thing. Dave skid to a stop, looked behind him, and brought his hand up to sketch out a symbol to the air on reflex. Spurred on by his magic, the demon's head found itself engulfed in flames.

Which, unfortunately, did nothing to stop it from wrapping a thick hand around his master and squeezing.

Balthazar, even while being sueezed slowly to death, found it within him somewhere to give David one of his _looks._

David cursed to himself, and tried another sigil, this one slightly less complicated, but accompanied by spoken word.

This time, the demon found itsself suffering from a severe build up of ice that seemed to radiate to its bones, and left it frozen solid quickly, and shattering with a well placed plasma bolt.

David toed one of the frozen solid pieces of scaly demonflesh, and looked up at Balthazar slowly.

And even if he had to make up for it by cleaning the lab top to bottom by hand, it was worth it to see his Master bundled up in thick jackets, cap and gloves, long underwear and the whole nine yards for the next week while he muttered about stupid Frost Curses and inexperienced apprentices.

**Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi**

He wasn't sure which Morganian had arranged for him to be added to the list of "Wanted Outlaws", but Balthazar thought he had a pretty good idea of who it was.. And his name started with an "H".. and ended in one too. Just at the thought of Horvath, Balthazar felt the need to reach over and pat his saddlebags and reassure himself the Grimhold and Incantus was still in place. They were. His mind was put back at ease.

The sorcerer shifted his leather jacket tighter around himself as the wind blew across the windblown prarie, and horse bearing him just continued plodding on. The West.. It was a pretty general name for a region, but Balthazar figured the country would start up its little states here soon enough.

Idly, he wondered how long the budding United States would even last. He'd seen kingdoms, countries, empires all rise and fall.. And while this was certainly new, how long would it endure?

Before that train of thought would chug much further, Balthazar found himself meeting another party along the dusty road.

And judging by the man in front who looked up at him from a yellowed and tattered piece of paper, and started shouting to the others, he had a pretty good idea of who and what they were, and just what they wanted.

Bounty hunters, and him, probably in exchange for some bounty they'd only get partially paid anyways.

Deciding he'd rather avoid another incident with mundane officials, Balthazar spurred his mustang around quickly, and tore back down the road, rocks and dust rising behind him as the posse kicked their own horses after him.

Balthazar just laughed. They wouldn't catch him.

**Dead Man's Curve - Jan and Dean**

As Dave came back to the world of reality, the whirrs and beeping of hospital machines around him, he had two coherent thoughts.

One, he hurt like hell.

Two, Balthazar was going to kill him.. he was probably late to training..

However, logic soon wiggled its way into his brain, informed him of the last few things he remembered, and reminded him of Thought Number One.

And Dave upgraded Thought Number Two to being Balthazar was _defintely_ going to kill him.

He didn't know what he was thinking.. He remembered some older boys goading him.. Egging him on.. to .. something. Something stupid. Whatever it was at the moment wasn't important. Dave remembered.. something else happened.. He tried to go with it and show off.. show he wasn't a total dork.. and something else. Something loud, with red lights, and lots of movement.

Slowly, he worked his aching eyes open, looked from the pristine white ceiling to the equally white walls around him, to the hospital medical machines.. to the chair on the other side of the room.

Inside the chair sat a man, long hair, leather jacket. Said man did not look happy. Said man looked beyond upset with him. Said man rose from his chair and walked over to the bed.

David wondered if he could quick go back to pretending to being asleep, but decided against it. Balthazar had already seen he was coherent.

"... ... Balthazar." He hesitantly began. He was rewarded with a _look._

"I did something stupid and idiotic again.. didn't I.."

"Boy... stupid and idiotic doesn't begin to cover it."

David swallowed nervously.

"You wrecked my car.."

Blinking, David's eyebrows met.

"My car.. That was an original.. kept in great condition for so many years... I meet you.. and it gets wrecked not once, but twice."

"Hang on," Quickly, David interupted his master. "You're upset.. because of your car.. not.. because I'm laying in a hospital bed?"

"David, really. The car was charmed enough to keep its occupants from being killing in a simple, mundance car accident. But you still _wrecked my car._"

David blinked increduously at Balthazar, who just kept glaring back.

However.. he couldn't help but notice the convenient excuses Balthazar kept tossing at him over the next few weeks that ensured he would be riding in the car with David.


End file.
